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Race winner is probably the most popular bet but not necessarily the best. Although the odds are usually higher than other bets race, betting on the winner is much more specific, only paying off if the car ends in one specific position unlike bets on podium, top six or top ten. This specificity means that all the relevant factors have far more influence; being confident that a driver will finish in 4th position rather than 5th does not matter when betting on top six but being confident a car will finish 1st rather than 2nd is precisely what betting on race winner is all about. Betting on race winner is much more of a classic gamble than the safer lower odds betting like top 6 or top 10. Some people prefer the gamble, some people prefer safer lower pay off betting but mixing the two is the best.

Generally, most race victories come from 3rd position or higher. Try and get a bet upon each of the top three qualifiers for that race. Aim to break even if one or maybe two of the top 3 drivers wins and then place a higher bet upon which of the top three you think will win or has the best odds. For example, at Silverstone 2012 Alonso was on poll with 2/1 (3.00) for victory, Webber second at 5/1 (6.00) and Schumacher third at 11/1 (12.0). If you put £10 on each then an Alonso win sees you break even, Webber makes you £40 and Schumacher pays off a handsome £120. Details of such bets will be found on the main blog after qualifying. Some courses vary from the norm, with some courses only seeing victories from 1st or 2nd on the grid. Details for specific courses can be found on the stats page. Also, some drivers only win from high qualifying positions whereas other drivers sometimes win from much further down the field. Details from the last decade can be found on the pre-weekend blog post. Finally, some drivers prefer certain tracks and this will be noted in the pre-weekend blog post.

Prior to the qualifying and the practice sessions drivers will have higher odds than after the grid order is known. Taking advantage of this uncertainty is advised in limited quantities. Consider how a driver has performed here before and consider his current form. Also, factor in which courses suit which cars. All this is discussed on the pre-weekend blog post. Placing a small amount of money on a few drivers who the statistics favour or who have unreasonably low odds is wise. If these drivers then qualify badly little money is lost but if one ends up on poll you have money on him at far higher odds than are available after qualifying.

Red Bull have usually been strongest for victory in the previous few years. By contrast, this year after Hungary, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari have three victories each. Despite this Red Bull are still arguably the most powerful overall team. There reliability is only beaten by Ferrari, they make fewer pit stop errors than most top teams, they are considerably quicker than Ferrari and perform better in the rain than McLaren. However, victory is far from certain and they are only a good bet if qualifying well, Vettel having never won from below 3rd and Webber from below 2nd on the grid. Hamilton is only marginally weaker overall but on any course suiting the McLaren Hamilton is a better bet than the Red Bulls. Alonso is the driver out performing his car, leading the world championship with a car slower than the McLaren, the Red Bull and maybe even the Lotus. His victories this year have usually come from qualifying high due to the rain or because some competitors crashed out when he qualifies relatively low in the dry. Only bet on Alonso for races where rain is likely though he is certainly one to watch for live betting.

Neither Lotus has won yet but with plenty of podiums a victory this season is likely. Their major problem is weak qualifying as they have arguably the best race pace of the field. Their odds often decrease after qualifying because of this though really they need to qualify at least top four for victory to be anything but a high odds bet. Their strong race speed makes them ones to watch for live betting. For Mercedes, Rosberg has won once this season and Schumacher has qualifying top 4 in over half the races this season. Another victory might be possible but after a series of weak results over the summer only bet on victory if they qualify top 3. However, since they usually do better in qualifying than the race it might be best watching them for live betting to see if they can retain the pace rather than betting heavily on them even after qualifying well. Perez has looked very impressive at times this season, two podiums and potentially a victory in Malaysia. However, he is too much an outsider for victory currently but is one to watch for live betting. Maldonado won in Spain but since then failed to score a single point. Despite very high odds he is not worth betting on for victory unless he qualifies top three.